Buster Keaton: The Shorts Collection 1917-1923 (DVD)

As new generations discover the magic of silent cinema, Buster Keaton has emerged as one of the era's most admired and respected artists. Behind the deadpan expression and trademark porkpie hat was a filmmaking genius who conceived and engineered some of the most breathtaking stunts and feats of visual trickery, while never losing sight of slapstick cinema's primary objective: laughter.

Produced by Lobster Films, BUSTER KEATON: THE SHORTS COLLECTION includes all 32 of Keaton's extant silent shorts (thirteen of which were produced under the tutelage of comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle). These 2k restorations were performed utilizing archival film elements from around the world, and promises to be the definitive representation of Keaton's early career. Watching these films in succession, one witnesses the evolution of an artist -- from broad knockabout comedian into a filmmaker of remarkable visual sophistication.

Complete List of Films Contained in This Collection:

The Arbuckle-Keaton comedies, 1917-1920
All films directed by Roscoe Arbuckle.
The Butcher Boy (1917)
The Rough House (1917)
His Wedding Night (1917)
Oh Doctor! (1917)
Coney Island (1917)
Out West (1918)
The Bell Boy (1918)
Moonshine (1918)
Good Night, Nurse! (1918)
The Cook (1918)
Back Stage (1919)
The Hayseed (1919)
The Garage (1920)

The Keaton silent short comedies, 1920-1923
All films directed by Buster Keaton and Eddie Cline unless otherwise noted.
One Week (1920)
Convict 13 (1920)
The Scarecrow (1920)
Neighbors (1920)
The Haunted House (1921)
Hard Luck (1921)
The "High Sign" (1921)
The Goat (1921) (directed by Buster Keaton and Malcolm St. Clair)
The Play House (1921)
The Boat (1921)
The Paleface (1922)
Cops (1922)
My Wife's Relations (1922)
The Blacksmith (1922) (directed by Buster Keaton and Malcolm St. Clair)
The Frozen North (1922)
The Electric House (1922)
Day Dreams (1922)
The Balloonatic (1923)
The Love Nest (1923)

The films in this collection are presented with orchestral scores by Frank Bockius, Neil Brand, Timothy Brock, Antonio Coppola, Stephen Horne, Robert Israel, The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, Dennis Scott, and Donald Sosin.

Special Features:
* 24-page booklet with detailed film notes and essay by Jeffrey Vance, author of Buster Keaton Remembered
* The Blacksmith - Newly rediscovered alternate version of the 1922 comedy, containing four minutes of previously unseen material
* Coney Island - alternate (politically incorrect) ending
* My Wife's Relations - alternate ending
* Introduction by film preservationist Serge Bromberg (6 min.)
* Life with Buster Keaton (1951, excerpt) - Keaton reenacts Roscoe Arbuckle's "Salomé dance", first performed in The Cook

Technical Specs:
U.S. | Total Running Time: 738 Min. | B&W/Color Tinted | 1920x1080p (1.33:1) | 2.0 Stereo